BWDC:SDDK Chapter 24: Youth is Priceless, but Prison is Just a Step Away!
"Ku... Kudo? Where is Kudo...?"
Inside the chairman's bedroom, Mori Ran was startled the moment she heard Hattori Heiji utter the name "Kudo."
Just as she and Mouri Kogoro were about to look around to see if they had missed someone, Ren Ichimonji's voice rang out from behind Hattori Heiji.
"The Kansai dialect really has a lot of homophones. I could barely hear you clearly."
The Dark Knight, carrying a cup of coffee, walked into the room as if no one else were there.
Hearing this, Hattori Heiji snapped to his senses and looked at Conan in surprise.
Not cool, man. How long has it been since we last met, and you still haven't confessed to Mori Ran and the others?
Despite his internal grumbling, Hattori Heiji hurried to explain, "I said 'Kuro'—as in, 'it's been hard work!' Hard work, everyone! After all, I'm actually the one... who invited you all here."
"What was that? This kid's pronunciation is so muddled."
Mouri Kogoro looked at Hattori Heiji with a look of exasperation.
He shook his head, intending to follow up with Nagamitsu Dozo about details regarding his first love, but then he suddenly whipped his head back toward Hattori Heiji and asked in disbelief, "You said... what?"
Seeing the shocked expressions on Mouri Kogoro and Ran, Hattori Heizo explained with a smile, "That's right. It was actually Heiji who recommended you to Mr. Nagamitsu, which is why you were invited."
"Mainly because there have been thieves appearing around the Nagamitsu household lately, and with Mr. Nagamitsu's 60th birthday celebration approaching, I thought that with Detective Mouri here, no thief would be able to ruin the festivities."
This was a compliment coming from the Superintendent of the Osaka Police Headquarters.
It made Mouri Kogoro feel a bit light-headed with pride.
Although Hattori Heizo's rank was one level lower than that of the Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police—Hakuba—their status in their respective regions was equal. He had rarely even seen Superintendent General Hakuba, so to think that...
Creeeak.
The door to the chairman's bedroom was pushed open.
A woman dressed in red, with a cold expression that looked as if everyone owed her millions, marched in. She didn't care who Hattori Heizo or the others were; she walked straight past them to Nagamitsu Dozo's bedside with another woman in tow.
She shot a glare at Hyuga Miyuki, the secretary standing by the bed, and spoke with a cold sneer.
"I thought it was only guests coming this time. I didn't expect a vixen to follow along too!"
"Father, since we have guests, why didn't anyone mention it to me?"
Ren Ichimonji frowned.
This kind of arrogant, overbearing woman usually dies a miserable death in Conan episodes. Could it be that she's the victim this time?
"Eldest Daughter, this is..."
Hyuga Miyuki wasn't angry; she simply prepared to explain to the woman in red.
But in the next instant, the woman in red sneered and shoved Hyuga Miyuki forward.
Suddenly, Hyuga Miyuki lost her balance and collapsed onto Nagamitsu Dozo's bed. The dusty fountain pen pinned to her chest and the notebook in her hand went flying.
Without time to think, Hyuga Miyuki instinctively reached out to grab the pen, clutching it to her chest.
Seeing this, Nagamitsu Dozo frowned, but his temperament was too soft; for a moment, he couldn't think of how to scold her.
The woman in red mocked, "Hmph, you're still keeping that pen? I don't care if it's a memento from your parents; having it in front of me is an eyesore. If you won't throw it away, I'll do it for you!"
The woman immediately reached out to snatch the pen from Hyuga Miyuki.
Hattori Heiji's brow furrowed.
He was about to step forward to stop her when he realized that Ren Ichimonji, who had been standing beside him, had vanished.
Looking up, he saw Ren Ichimonji appearing right next to Hyuga Miyuki.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Ren Ichimonji stood sideways, gripping the woman's wrist with one hand while holding his coffee in the other.
He looked as if he weren't even breaking a sweat.
"Auntie, if you don't like looking at it, then don't look. Why start getting physical? Do you think having money means you can do whatever you want?"
Au... Auntie?!
The woman in red was furious.
She was the eldest daughter of the Nagamitsu Group, Nagamitsu Nobuko.
At thirty-nine years old and still unmarried, she was extremely sensitive about such topics. Now that Ren Ichimonji had brought it up, her anger flared. Ignoring his identity, she raised her other hand to strike.
However, to Nagamitsu Nobuko's surprise, Ren Ichimonji turned his head to Hattori Heiji and shouted, "Hey, hey, what's this? Trying to hit someone? This is intimidation! Come on, Hattori, give her the rundown!"
"Do you remember the specifics for the crime of violence?"
Hearing this, Hattori Heiji immediately caught on.
He leaped over to Ren Ichimonji's side, shaking his head and tsk-ing.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Of course I remember. Auntie, this is illegal behavior, do you know that?"
"The law on violence states that as long as you intentionally apply force to another person, it's a punishable offense. The sentence can be up to two years. Well, Auntie? Do you want to give it a try?"
Nagamitsu Nobuko's face flushed and paled. She wrenched her hand away from Ren Ichimonji, took a step back, and said coldly, "I didn't actually hit anyone. How can that count as violence?"
Ren Ichimonji sighed, putting an arm around Hattori Heiji's shoulder.
"Alas, Hattori, do you see? Being uneducated is truly terrifying. She probably dropped out of primary school. How pitiful... I won't hold it against her..."
Hattori Heiji nodded solemnly, acting like Ren Ichimonji's best bro as he backed him up.
"As long as you intentionally apply violence to others—even if it's just a threat and not a physical strike—it constitutes violence that causes mental harm!"
"Auntie, this is illegal! Come on, turn yourself in with me!"
Nagamitsu Nobuko's eyes widened, looking every bit the shrew.
Her hands shook with rage as she pointed at Ren Ichimonji.
"You... you... you..."
Before she could finish, Ren Ichimonji delivered the final blow.
"What about 'you'? Look around this room. Over there is the Superintendent of the Osaka Police. Next to him is an elite former detective from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. And I am the Dark Knight who protects Gotham City."
"With the three of us here, you think you can break the law and deny it? Not a chance!"
"The Osaka police officers just happen to be downstairs. I suggest you behave yourself. If you turn yourself in now, maybe you'll only get one year, three hundred sixty-four days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds! What are you waiting for?"
"Youth is priceless, but prison is just a step away!"
Nagamitsu Nobuko shook so hard she couldn't form a complete sentence.
"I... you... I..."
"Agh!"
The thirty-nine-year-old unmarried "auntie" finally snapped. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, fainting on the spot.
"Big sister!!!"
Everyone in the room watched the scene, utterly dumbfounded.
They now had a very clear and direct understanding of Ren Ichimonji's combat effectiveness—
A gentleman kills without a blade. This guy really knows how to get under someone's skin!
End of Chapter
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